Poolside Glow
by Shinigamiaa
Summary: Expanded one-shot: When Bella's stresses get too much to handle, she decides to take a quick walk by the motel's pool. What happens there will leave her wanting more. Rated M for LEMONS. All human!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, y'all, just keep in mind that this is not only my first one-shot, but also my first lemon! Read and enjoy!**

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I mindlessly tapped the pen against my forehead. How could everything have gotten so complicated? I looked back down at the number filled page in disgust. Our budget.

"Stop stressing, Bella." Alice sighed behind me, "Everything will work out."

I shook my head at the piece of paper, "We're broke! We don't even have enough to stay here another night, let alone get back home!"

I swiveled in the desk chair to face Alice. She was sitting on the bed's colorful abstract comforter rolling her eyes at my reliance on cash.

We'd only been at this motel for two nights and already we were in deep shit. It seemed like a good idea at the time: cheap, relatively clean, and we weren't likely to run into anyone we knew for a change. The deep shit part was discovered about three hours ago when Alice realized she'd left the majority of our cash lying on the night stand for the cleaning crew to pocket while we were out having fun at a club on the beach.

"We'll be fine." She tried to convince me again for the twenty-third time, "We'll just go out tomorrow and see what we can do. If nothing else, I can call Emmett and he'll—"

"No!" I exclaimed, "I refuse to get your brother in the middle of this. Besides, I don't want to be in debt to him."

"Alright! Relax!" Her already naturally high pitched voice rose an octave, "If you relax then maybe we'll find a way out of this!"

She was right. I needed to think straight. My head was buzzing with thoughtless confusion and rage and it was going to cause a headache soon. Ever since we decided on this trip to the beach, I knew something had to go wrong. And here it was, everything going wrong. I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself.

"I'm taking a walk." I said flatly and before Alice could say anything, I was out of my seat and out the door.

The warm summer night breeze flowed through my hair and forced my pajamas to wrap around my body. Chlorine saturated the air outside out motel door and disinfected my befuddled thoughts. I took my time walking down the corridor, keeping my eyes out for anything I shouldn't step on with bare feet. There was a shattered beer bottle on the side of the cement paved walkway that evidently wasn't empty when it was thrown. Jumping over the puddle of alcohol, I finally reached the stares and saw my destination: the shimmering lights sparkling off of the dancing blue waves of the pool. It was small, but completely worth it.

I couldn't stop my gaze from traveling upward to the velvet sky to stare in awe at the bright stars as I took one step at a time down the stairs. They weren't this bright even in Forks. There was something mystical about them, even magical maybe. My heel caught the very edge of its intended stair. A squeal escaped my lips as I flew down the last three steps, scraping my leg on the rough cement as I stopped on my butt at the bottom.

"Of course." I sighed. I really should learn to expect things to get worse, especially with my clumsiness.

The slapping of feet on the hard pavement grew louder. I searched for the source, which didn't take long. A young man was rushing towards me, his face wrinkled with concern.

"Are you alright?" He gasped before he knelt next to me and started inspecting the long scraps on my thigh.

The tips of his messy bronze hair swayed in the light hush of night. The pale skin coming from under his grey tank top seemed to glow as it reflected the water's rippling behind him while the tank top itself clung to the strong, defined muscles of his chest.

"Um…" I tried to test my shaky voice before I actually said anything of importance, "Yes?" I couldn't remember what I was saying yes to exactly, but the way I figured it was: with him I would say yes to just about anything he said.

He turned his brilliant bright green eyes to my dark brown ones. My breath caught in my throat and refused to come back up. This man gazing at me was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. His chiseled cream face looked as if it would have been more fit on a sculpture by Michelangelo or in a painting by Da Vinci than kneeling beside me by the pool at a cheap motel. I wanted to reach out and smooth down the three lines that creased between his eyebrows because they looked like a smudge on a piece of art.

"Are you sure?" He said softly, his voice lifting into the air like musical notes in a Beethoven piece, "I think I have a First Aid kit in my room, I can go get it…"

He turned to a glowing doorway which I assumed was his room, but my hand decided otherwise as it shot out and grasped his hand, "No, wait." I managed to say a little too desperately. I could feel myself turning bright red as I ripped my hand out of his. He looked confused for a moment, so I tried my best to smile sweetly to alleviate his worry, "I'm fine. Really. This happens all the time to me. There's no need for a First Aid kit."

A charming crooked grin lit up his eyes and he offered me the warm hand I'd just grasped a moment ago. My mouth dried as my shaking hand reached for his.

"So, what are you doing out here at this time of night?" He wondered curiously as he lifted me to my feet. I swayed slightly, but kept my balance.

"Just trying to relax." _And you aren't helping._ I sighed, "What about you? Do you normally come down to the pool all alone and wait for unsuspecting girls to trip down the stairs so you can help them?"

His chuckle echoed around the short iron fence that enclosed the pool, "I was just trying to relax too." He gazed deeply into the pool without really looking at it, as if his mind was showing him a very different picture, reminding him why he needed relaxation. He came back to reality about the same time I realized he was still holding my hand. I searched his emerald eyes cautiously as they shimmered with his growing smile.

"I'm Edward." His voice came to me deep and intimate. There was no attempt at untwining our hands.

"Bella." I whispered.

"Come." He gestured to the side of the pool, surrounded by stained flimsy plastic chairs, "Relax with me."

Edward led me to the edge of the cement and then, letting our hand fall apart, plopped himself down and sunk his feet and half his calf into the smooth water. I copied his movements, never looking away from his beautifully complex eyes. Once we were settled next to each other, letting the cool water release the tension in our feet, I felt like I could finally breath and the knots loosened in my head. My eyes shuttered closed, letting the breeze blow my hair across my face.

"How's your leg feeling?" Edward glanced over at me as he leaned back on his arms, tilting his head towards the stars.

I tried my best to keep staring at the water. I was afraid that if I looked at him again, I wouldn't be able to stop. "Fine." I said abruptly and startled myself with my sudden coldness. Looking up at him next to me reluctantly, my face rushed with blood for the second time tonight and mixed with a shy smile, "Thank you."

He beamed at me, "Good. I'm glad you're alright."

I leaned my head back over my shoulders, closed my eyes, and let the pressures of the day melt off my shoulders. I wasn't sure how long I sat there like that, anything but oblivious to Edward yet _trying_ to be oblivious to him.

_SPASH!_

Water droplets rained down on my body as I snapped out of my trance and looked around. Edward was no longer sitting next to me, he was right in front of me in the pool. I giggled at him until he surfaced and I realized that he'd taken his shirt off and was in the water with only his pajama shorts on.

"Oh, c'mon!" He smiled sweetly at me, "It's nice! Really, you should come in!"

"Uhhhh…" I replied dumbly. Edward ran his hands over his dripping hair to pull it from his face. The water ran down the contours of his neck, over his hard glistening chest, the ripples of his abs, and finally landing in the water. "Maybe later."

His laugh, the most joyous sound in the world, rang out into the night, "Alright, just don't make me pull you in." He winked at me affectionately. "Tell me about yourself, Bella."

I was taken aback by his request, "What do you want to know?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Anything."

Edward began to float on his back, pushing himself towards me, "There's nothing to tell." I laughed, "Boring girl from a boring town with a boring life."

A dreamlike smile blessed his wet lips, "Sounds wonderful." He had just about reached the edge of the pool when he stroked a little too hard. His head bumped against the wall with a _thud_.

"Ouch! Shit!" He gasped as his body righted itself and he rubbed his head with a wince on his face.

"Are you okay?" I plummeted without thinking into the pool, letting my cotton shorts and oversized tee shirt become wet. Waddling my way over to him, I could feel my shorts sliding lower and lower on my hips, but they stayed on.

"Yeah, no, I'm fine." Edward looked a little sheepish, "Just embarrassing is all."

I stopped just before I reached him and stared. Embarrassing? He thought _that_ was embarrassing? I bellowed with laughter.

"What?" He asked in genuine confusion.

"You think that's embarrassing when you just saw me fall down the stairs!" I accused him with my finger.

His glare was closer to a childish pout than anything menacing, "It's not nice to point."

"Oh, please," My head tilting to one side, "You can't say you don't find that funny."

"I can and I will." He said decisively with a smirk of ridiculousness. "It got you in the pool anyway."

My wide eyes examined my surroundings. Edward was right. I was almost chest deep in warm, soothing water…and I was still in my clothes. I sighed in exasperation.

"Don't worry," He eyed me with a devilish glint in his green eyes, "I have some dry clothes in my room…you can borrow them if you want to."

Only half my lips turned up in a grin, "We'll see."

Edward sloshed and closed the gap between us. When he was dangerously close, his gem-like eyes pierced through my own, causing me to forget how to breathe. We were frozen in the water, I stared at him with such fascination it was as if I'd never seen a man before. The strange thing was he was watching me with the same intensity.

"Bella…" He purred as he broke eye contact to trace my lips with his gaze.

"Y-Yes, Edward?" I stuttered weakly.

"May I…?" His eyes held an overwhelming sense of desire as his soft fingers grazed the outside of my arms under the water, granting my chills and goosebumps.

My head lifted for him without my permission, my lips parted a bit, and suddenly my body had a mind of its own. Warmth and passion filled me in ways and places I never knew it could before his lips ever reached mine. I wrapped my arms up and around his firm neck hesitantly as his gentle lips found mine. A burst of fire ripped through my body, settling at my core. My knees made no pretense of giving out, they turned to pudding immediately and would have pulled me away from Edward if he hadn't, with amazingly fast reflexes, caught my hips and waist in his arms.

I groaned in pleasure as our lips lightly moved together. The sound seemed to electrify our actions. Our kisses became deeper, longer, desperately passionate. My fingers found themselves tangling and tugging at his silken bronze hair. He held onto me tightly so I was snug against his wet, bare chest, my lungs racing for air.

Edward's lips left mine and traveled smoothly across my cheek, delicately brushing his nose against my ear, and continuing his stream of kisses from right behind my ear and down my neck. I gasped and forgot how to control myself. I was in a whole other world and Edward was my guide.

He eagerly returned to my longing lips the instant the fire that was building up in my body exploded and sparked at the base of my thighs. I could feel myself losing my mind and self control. I wanted him, all of him, right now. My desire was obvious to him with my thigh up around his hip; his rough groan that vibrated in the back of his throat and his hardness that pushed against me told me the feeling was mutual.

Abruptly, he broke out lip-lock, "Wait…" He said breathlessly, "I have to slow down."

I looked up at him in confusion, "What? Why?" I whined.

Another crooked grin, "I don't normally do this."

I laughed, "I never do this!"

Edward sighed, "I mean, I want to…but I…I…" He seemed to struggle with what he was going to tell me, "I don't want to go any further than you want me to…and…"

"What?" I prompted impatiently.

"I've never _gone_ any further…" He avoided my eyes as if he were ashamed of something.

I stared at this Greek god in front of me in disbelief, "Really?"

Slowly he nodded, "Really."

I thought for a moment. How is that possible? This embodiment of sexuality with his sensual jewel eyes, striking features, and muscular body…I knew that it couldn't have been from lack of offers. I mean…Geez! He looked like a freaking movie star!

"Why?" I blurted out.

Edward's eyes flitted to mine for only a brief moment before continuing to study anything else while he spoke, "I don't know." He shrugged, "I guess I never found anyone I really wanted in that way. No one ever seemed worth it to me."

He left me speechless. What he was telling me just didn't make sense to me. If none of the girls that offered themselves to him before, (and they were sure to be absolutely gorgeous…just the thought unleashed unbelievable jealousy), why should I be any different? I wasn't. Surely I fit into the category of those who tried before. If that was the case, then there was no point in denying the truth about myself.

"Me too." I muttered.

I was shocked when his head spun to me again with a strange expression on his face, "Huh?"

I faced the only man who had ever taken me to the brink of losing myself and back, "I'd never gone any farther than this." I smiled sheepishly while his eyes borrowed into me, searching intently for something. "I guess I should go back up to my room now. My friend will be wondering about me."

I began to pull away, but he wouldn't untie the hold he had on me.

"Don't go." He pleaded softly. "Please."

I knew I couldn't say no to him.

My body pushed itself against him once again and I collided my lips into his. He accepted me at once, holding the back of my drenched hair in his hand, guiding me in our passion as his other hand slipped up the back of my shirt. His touch brought goosebumps and the fire returned. My fingers explored his hard back and heated chest. I couldn't get enough of him. I stole his bottom lip into my mouth and sucked gently before doing the same to his malleable earlobe.

Before I had a chance to think, my worn tee shirt was over my head and flung into the water. My thin cotton bra did nothing to conceal anything underneath. Tentatively, I pushed my hand under the water and teased along the edge of his shorts. The skin there felt amazing beneath my fingers and decided to venture a little further as I snuck a couple of fingers inside the waistband. I was stunned to be greeted by the blazing heat of his erection beneath my fingertips. I felt around his hardness curiously. I had never even _seen_ a naked man, (except for in my Health class textbooks), let alone felt one.

Edward groaned, "Bella…" And cupped a hand over my thinly covered breast. I wondered if he could feel my heart pounding, trying to escape my chest.

His thumb played over my hardened nipple. My bra stretched and yanked in the back. Edward was trying very unsuccessfully to unclip it with one hand. I giggled, stretched the one hand that wasn't in his pants around my back and with one smooth movement the back fell open for him. He smiled awkwardly at me and assisted my falling bra straps. Once it was off, I felt as if I should have been self-conscious but I wasn't. I couldn't be around him, not with the way he looked at me, like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. No, the only woman in the world. He stepped back a little to get a better look at me and smiled.

"You're beautiful, Bella." He breathed as he wrapped me in his arms once more, letting my breasts snuggle against him, "Absolutely exquisite."

Edward continued forward, pushing me back into the wall of the pool. Kisses trickled down my neck and to the water's edge on my body where he leaned down to seize my nipple in his mouth. His hand found my other breasts and teased it thoroughly.

"God…Edward…" I cried as he licked and nibbled and sucked until I couldn't take it anymore.

I clutched onto his hair and forced him back up to my mouth where I ravaged his lips and grew more confident in his pants. I managed to slip my slightly shy hand around pulsating shaft and…Good God! Were men normally this big? He was amazing. The adrenaline rushing through my veins made it hard not to rub him feverishly, but I managed to slow my hand and work my way up in speed the hotter our kisses became.

"Please," He begged through our anxious lips, "I need you."

"I'm yours." I was barely audible, hardly taking my lips off of his.

Suddenly my legs were hitched around his waist, his arms keeping me in place, his eyes mirroring my own blazing desire. Edward shuffled through the water to the stairs and onto the dry pavement. The droplets on our soaked bodies fell to the cement with tiny splashes as he made his way to the open door of his room, never breaking eye contact. Shutting the door with his foot, I realized that the only light coming into the room was the moonlight shining through his window.

Edward lay me down on the firm mattress and hovered above me for a second before sliding leisurely down past my bellybutton. His fingers, hooked inside my pajama shorts and panties, took them down with him. I didn't even hear them slip to the floor because all of my senses where focused all in one place. His tongue, rough wetness skimmed and teased. It felt so foreign to me: his head between my glistening thighs, his lips caressing a place my own mother hadn't seen since I was six, and the pleasure he gave to me. At first, it was felt amazingly good. Then in turned into something completely different, a whole new perspective, new senses and emotions I never knew existed. His large hands clamped around my hips so I couldn't wiggle too much in my ecstasy. I could feel him looking up at me as I squirmed and yelped helplessly on the bed. I couldn't take much more and I had a feeling he knew that I was going completely insane and I needed him to bring my sanity back.

"You…" _gasp, gasp, gasp, _"up here…" _gasp, gasp, gasp, _"now…" I managed to get out.

With a broad smile, slipping off his shorts, Edward crawled up on top of me, nestling his narrow hips where his face had been just a moment ago.

"Hey, there." He hummed.

The stiff length of him rubbed against me which only seemed to intensify the torture. I grabbed what of him I could and let my nails scrape down his back as he nibbled my neck fervently. My sanity was slipping from me to the point where I really wanted to attack him. I would jump on top of _him_ and release my tension if he didn't do anything soon.

"Please," I begged, "I want you."

Edward's lips were near my ear, his hot breath causing shivers, "What do you want me to do?" He whispered slowly, roughly. I could hear his amazing crooked smile in his hush.

"I need you inside me." I whipped my head towards his neck and lightly bit him.

"Are you sure?" His low voice seemed unsure and nervous.

"Yes." My nails scratched down his back again in undeniable frustration, "Oh God, yes."

Gradually, the heat of his shaft slipped slowly inside of me, a little resistance, then breaking through. I gasped in sudden pain.

"I'm sorry!" Edward blurted fearfully, "Are you okay?" His anxious eyes searched for my reaction.

I took a few deep breaths and let the pain subside, "Give me a second."

It only took a few seconds for the pain to dwindle to almost nothing. Edward stayed very still, watching me, calculating my expressions in the moonlight room.

"Okay," I sighed, "I'm okay."

He nodded, "I'll go slowly."

Gently, he pushed himself a little further inside of me, pulled out, then gradually went even deeper than before. I was a little uncomfortable at first with the stretching and pressure he was causing. But after a minute, it felt good. Edward kept going until he was entirely inside of me. Then, it felt amazing. He pulled out and thrust into my core with a little more force. The bust of pleasure tearing through my body was almost unbearable as it built up for something bigger. I felt it coming with every plunge he took, unhurried, yet increasing his speed. The faster he went the quicker I came to the edge of whatever was waiting for me.

"God…" Edward moaned loudly, "You feel amazing…"

That was it. I took a handful of his hair and smashed my lips into his, letting his tongue dance with mine. His thrusts became shorter and swift, pushing me closer and closer till finally I couldn't contain myself. As my walls closed around him, I found myself soaring. My body filled with heart-wrenching pleasure, bliss, delight, in a sensation I could give a thousand synonyms to but not a single word to describe it. I screamed in joy as my fingers tried to clutch desperately to him. Then he was crying out with me in unison just before his pounding explosion.

A few minutes later, we were lying together, cuddling. Edward's sweaty chest pressed against my back, his arms wrapped around my still naked body, my bottom snuggled up against his exhaustion, we were both on the verge of sleep.

"Bella?" Edward grunted beside my ear.

I smiled hearing him say my name, "Yes, Edward?"

"In the morning," Drowsiness slurred his words, "I'm getting you breakfast in bed. And then we're going to go out and get whatever else you want."

I giggled, "Right." Sarcasm brushed my voice.

"I'm serious." He seemed a little more awake now, "I really want to. Whatever you want."

I sighed and turned around to face him, "Please don't."

He stared at me with obvious confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" I thought for a second. What exactly did I mean? I tried to gather my thoughts, "I don't want you to tell me things that will make me happy." I stroked his hair, "It'll ruin everything."

A tiny smirk landed on his face, "I never told you what I do for a living, did I?"

This time, I wore the confusion, "No."

Edward's smirk rapidly turned into a bright smile, "I'm Edward Masen, Paramount's leading movie producer and director."

I stared at him dumbly. Edward _Masen_? Of course I knew who he was, anyone who watched movies or television knew who he was but no one knew what he looked like. Edward Masen, evidently, was very secretive about his appearance because, he didn't want to stop going to the local grocery store or burger joint just because he was afraid of the paparazzi or fans. Well, at least that's what he said during a phone interview with Katie Couric.

"_You're_ Edward Masen?" I said weakly.

He nodded, still smiling, "So, you see, it's really no trouble to at least get you breakfast in bed."

I shook my head, "But I don't want breakfast in bed. Besides, you're going to be leaving town soon, aren't you? To head back to Los Angeles?"

Edward frowned, "Los Angeles? Is that where people are saying I live nowadays?" He chuckled lightly, "No, love. I live here in Washington usually…"

We kept softly chatting about his travels and he asked me a hundred-six questions about where I was from and my life. I think we were still talking when we fell asleep.

"Bella!" A high-pitched voice pierced through my sleep, "Good God, Bella, would you get up already?!"

Startled, I shot up from my pillow and looked around. I was dreaming? No, that wasn't possible. I was with Edward Masen last night…the pool…his room…his lips…his…oh geez, what was wrong with me? My heart seemed to shatter into a million pieces. I didn't meet Edward last night. He's not really here. We didn't make love. It was just a dream. Heartbroken, I found Alice's face as I tried to orient myself.

"What's wrong Alice?" I garbled sleepily.

"Its noon and we have to meet those people we met last night at the club down on the beach in fifteen minutes!" She squealed.

The club? Oh! The club on the beach. I must have dreamt that our money was stolen too. _Okay. Let's get everything straight_, I thought to myself. _There's no Edward. But on the bright side we still have our money._

"_Fifteen minutes!"_ Alice repeated for my benefit.

"Crap!" I shouted as I realized what she was saying to me.

"Yeah, crap! Get your butt in gear, girl, we gotta go!" Alice said, "I'll meet you down stairs."

She slammed the door in her rush and left me to my own devices. Great. I ran around, flying one piece of clothing out of my suitcase after another until I found my blue bikini with palm trees on it. While tugging my body into the two-piece, I tried to do what I could about my hair and brushed my teeth. I tied a sheer, long, blue sash around my waist, shoved my feet into flip-flops and ran out and locked the door. I didn't give myself time to think about the man I met in my dreams.

The hallway was clear of anything that would snag my sash and hurt my feet, but I took extra time on the stairs, being careful not to fall. Then I realized. _Crap-crap-crap!_ I left the key in our room. I mentally kicked myself. As if nothing else could go wrong. This was truly turning out to be the most worthless morning in the world.

I stomped my way to the front office, blinded by self loathing.

"No, you listen…" Someone growled at the motel's manager, "I don't want a suite; I don't want someone's condo on the beach! I just want a normal room you would give to anyone else."

That voice. I knew that voice. My vision cleared enough for me to lay eyes on an angel. Edward was dressed in casual beach attire. His hands gripped the desk so hard, his knuckles where strained white. Those three creases between his eyebrows were the same ones I wanted to smooth away last night. Those lips that now pursed in rage were the same lips that had kissed mine. His blazing green eyes glared at the manager.

"Y-yes, sir. Of course." The manager, a balding, short, middle-aged man with a kind face, was sweating nervously, "Anything you want, sir, you just let us know." He stammered as he handed him a room key."

Edward, clearly simmered down, smiled politely at the man and gladly too the key. I never took my eyes off of him. I was stunned, frozen, amazed, bewildered…_everything_! I was _thinking_ in incomplete sentences. _Where did…? What does this…? Who is…? Why is this…? Is he…?_ I was struggling to tame my thoughts when he turned towards the door I was standing in the middle of.

Green eyes immediately flashed to mine and stuck. My body turned numb with fear and excitement. Edward held my gaze and seemed to be just as shocked as I was, though I couldn't imagine why. I'd completely lost track of how long we'd been standing there in the motel lobby gazing into each other's eyes until he awkwardly smiled his stunning crooked smile.

"Hi." He greeted me softly.

I wouldn't have been able to suppress my smile if I'd tried, "Hi."

Edward hesitantly moved closer to me till we were only a little more than a foot apart. I searched his eyes for something unknown. I knew when I saw it: recognition.

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**Please let me know what you guys think! Too fast? Too slow? Too...something else? I would really appreciate your thoughts!**

**P.S. There have been a few people saying how dissapointed they are that this is only a one-shot. I'm considering making it preferably a series of one-shots but am open to making it into a story. I've opened a poll so you can voice your opinion. Or you can go to my profile and get my IM screenames/emails and let me know what you think. I love listening to everyone's opinion and will discuss it with you!**

**P.S.S. lol Alright, just for clarification: Bella was dreaming but Edward had a very similar dream about Bella. Hope that helps!**


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm trying to sleep. Do you _mind_?!" I growled through my teeth.

Jasper had always liked loud rock music. He said it was sharing culture through the open window of his newly waxed Mercedes. I said it was an annoyance and never failed to bring on headaches. But I guess that was why we were friends: we never listened to each other. And at that moment, it seemed like he wasn't listening to me at all so I reached over and pushed the power knob of his stereo. Silence took over and gave me hope of sleep.

Jasper immediately turned to me with a disgusted look on his face, "Was that really necessary?"

I shifted in the leather seat of his car to get comfortable, squeaking a bit, "Yes, it was." I stated plainly.

He shook his head, "You shouldn't be hatin' Supermassive Black Hole, dude. It's a Muse classic."

"So says you." I scoffed, "Now shut up so I can get some sleep before we get to the beach."

This beach was about four hours away and in the middle of nowhere. Just how we liked it. There were definite advantages to people not knowing who you are and I'm not sure I would have it any other way. Jasper on the other hand just didn't have much of a choice. The past couple of movies we'd done together had become box office hits. Fortunately, I was off set. But Jasper had the role of the lead character and his face was posted in every tween, teenage and young girl's bedroom from here to Rome.

"Still can't sleep, eh?" He smirked knowingly.

I should have never told him about my absurd case of insomnia. At night, my mind raced in so many directions, always winding up at one point. A girl. A girl I'd never seen in my life, who had been haunting my dreams the past few weeks and left me waking in the middle of the night in my sweat-drenched sheets, trying to calm my stiffness. Every time I woke alone in my dark apartment I swear I could still smell her. I could taste her in my mouth. And for only a brief second, I could still feel her hand resting on my bare chest next to her sleeping head. My heart raced and ached when I thought about her. And I thought about her often. A beautiful girl dressed in only her rich brown hair, mysterious cocoa eyes, silken skin. Her long legs wrapped around me every night as she cried out my name in pleasure. Then I would open my eyes to the cruel reality of being alone.

Of course, it wasn't all about making love to this amazing, nameless girl. The entire reality of my dream was hers. The way she moved, the way she made me feel. I felt like I'd known her for all of eternity, not just in this life. Normally I would laugh at the idea, but my dreams, the realness of them, made me wonder whether they were really dreams or something more. One thing was for sure, I knew I needed to find her and I didn't know where to begin. But, this weekend I needed a vacation. I was told that a vacation was an amount of time that one relaxed. I thought that person was joking with me at the time, but I'll try anything once.

I realized I hadn't answered Jasper when he started tapping the steering wheel with his impatient thumb, "No, I can't sleep."

"Still dreaming about…_her_?"His patience returned in his sympathetic voice.

I nodded solemnly, "I don't understand it, Jasp. It's the strangest thing that's ever happened to me."

Jasper twitched nervously, "Um…my step-sister wanted me to ask you…"

I rolled my eyes, "What did Rosalie want?"

He sighed, "She couldn't understand why you turned her down and when you were telling me about your dreams it got me thinking…"

"What." I said with annoyance.

"This girl from your dreams…" Jasper hesitated, "Is she the reason you haven't dated or slept with anyone? I mean, you know…ever?"

His question surprised me. I'd never really thought about it that way. As best I could, I tried to keep people out of my love life, or lack thereof. That not only included interviewers, but also young women I met at clubs who, even without knowing who I was, still flirted with me in ridiculous ways. I just didn't want them. I tried to explain to them that there was anything wrong with them really but…well they weren't _her_.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"That's a little more than screwed up, man."

I turned my head to the window, "I know."

"Well we should be there around noon." Jasper looked at the clock, "So, if you're going to sleep, you have twenty minutes." He thought intently for a moment, "I'll leave the music off for you for now."

I rolled my eyes, "Appreciate it."

I reclined the seat back and prepared for sleep. A beautiful girl crept into my thoughts. Damn. I'd never be able to get to sleep. I laid there, wide awake and fighting an erection, for twenty minutes as I remembered some of the more recent dreams I'd had of her. As I'd said before, it wasn't all about making love to her. Sometimes I would have an entire dream of holding her in my arms, her soft body conforming to mine. Once I dreamt of kissing her sweet lips after a long day together. Another dream we'd played Monopoly and Uno all night. But the rest of the time our sticky bodies rocked together, leading each other to paradise and oneness. I thought more about those dreams.

"Ed." Jasper made me jump, "You can stop pretending your asleep. We're here."

I glared at him. There was no way he knew I wasn't asleep.

We stopped in a tiny parking lot with a few cars that seemed to be shamed with the addition of Jasper's Mercedes. I told him we should have just taken my Volvo. It was fuel efficient and blended in. The motel itself was a dump, which gave it a certain charm. It's peeling paint and broken lights were something foreign and exotic to me.

"I don't think I should go inside." Jasper peered through his big shades to the large window of the motel's management office. "How about you go get our rooms and I'll get us a good spot on the beach."

"Fine." I huffed as I got out of the car. I hated when he got himself out of things just because he was afraid someone would recognize him. I knew that he just wanted to go to the beach where surly others would identify him, but I knew it would be worse if the motel staff knew about him staying here. They would get more business if they were on the news because the paparazzi followed us here based on a tip thrown at them by an employee of this tiny motel.

The air outside was thick and warm. It was a perfect day for the coolness of the ocean waves. I strolled into the front office and was greeted by a balding, middle aged man. He was probably at least a half a foot shorter than me, but still welcomed me as he looked up at me with a smile.

"Good afternoon!" He said cheerfully, "What can I do for you?"

I smiled back at him, "I need two rooms for a few nights."

"Do you have I.D.?" He asked as he typed away at his twenty year old computer.

I hesitated, but retrieved my wallet from my back pocket, "Of course."

I slipped my driver's license out of its place and slid it to him on the counter. There was no need to watch him to know when he saw the name. The man immediately stopped typing and stared at the print on the card I'd given to him. His face turned white.

"Mr. Edward Masen?" His voice cracked as he read my name as if he didn't believe it was true.

"Yes." I faintly glared at him, "Will there be a problem?"

Fearfully, his bugging eye reached my face again and he shook his head adamantly, "No, no, of course not, sir. It's just that…" His eyes darted around the empty room, "Wouldn't you be more comfortable somewhere else?"

My eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

"We have suites, Mr. Masen. They're not much, but we do have them. But if you want…" Another sweep of the room behind me, "My cousin…he has this amazing condo on the beach," he told me in a low voice, "I'm sure he'd be willing to rent it to you for a few days."

"I'm not looking for anything like that. But thank you for offering." I said a little forcefully, "I really just want a couple of rooms-"

"Listen, he might give you a really good deal on this condo. I mean, it's right on the beach, great view, sir! Maybe a couple thousand—"

"No, thank you." I frowned irately, "I would really just like the room keys, if you don't mind."

"Okay, okay, listen," Beads of sweat started sprouting on his brown spotted head, "Two thousand for the condo. It's furnished, Mr. Masen, and I'm sure they'll have food in the fridge."

"No, you listen…" I growled a little too harshly, "I don't want a suite; I don't want someone's condo on the beach! I just want a normal room you would give to anyone else."

His smile faded as he realized I meant business and my business was to attain a regular room. "Y-yes, sir. Of course." He stammered nervously, "Anything you want, sir, you just let us know." He finally handed me a room key. I'd asked for two, but I'd settle for one now and come back later to get another key. I couldn't deal with him anymore this afternoon.

I tried to calm down and smiled as politely as I could at the anxious man as I grabbed the lone key out of his hand.

When I turned to leave, chocolate brown eyes met mine and captured me as their prisoner. I was stunned for a moment, incapable of moving. She was gorgeous. Her large, dark eyes stared at me in astonishment, framed by shining dark hair that ran down her back. It was hard to believe that this heavenly woman, this earthly cherub was standing in the middle of the door I'd just walked through less than a few minutes ago. Her supple fair skin seemed to be illuminated from some sort of internal glow from her luminescent face to her slender legs. All she wore was a blue and white bikini and a long sash that hung lightly from her waist. She was mesmerizing.

I tried to smile the best I could at the girl who had taken over my nights and made sleep a stranger to me for the past few weeks. "Hi."

The girl instantly smiled back softly, "Hi."

I was drawn to her, my feet moved with a will of their own towards her and stopped not far away. I was afraid to breath for fear she would disappear.

"Edward." Her voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes still probing mine in fascination.

My body heated with the sound of my name coming from her lips, but my mind spun with confusion, "What did you say?" I asked, barley moving my mouth.

The girl seemed embarrassed and a wonderful blush ran over her cheeks, "I'm sorry…it must be a-uh coincidence."

"Please," I pleaded, "tell me your name as you seem to already know mine."

She froze, still wide-eyed with disbelief, "You can't be real."

I smiled again, "I could say the same about you." I needed to move closer to her. I stopped when I could smell the freesia scent coming off of her skin, "Please, I must know your name."

"Bella." She whispered.

Bella, Bella, Bella. I said the name over and over again in my head. It seemed familiar to me, as if I'd said it a million times but had only heard it for the first time.

"How do you know me, Bella?" Her name rolled off my tongue so easily.

Bella seemed dazed, as if she were remembering something, "My dream."

A loud noise came behind me as the motel's manager cleared his throat not so subtly. I couldn't turn to glare at him, afraid that if I looked away, she would disappear and I would never see her again. Besides, I still wasn't completely convinced I wasn't dreaming.

"Will you come with me?" I nearly begged her in a whisper.

"Yes."

I touched her arm gently and led her out into the sticky heat. It was impossible to ignore the electrical currents flowing through my body from hers, it made me dizzy.

"What's going on…?" Bella muttered under her breath. I wasn't sure I was supposed to hear her.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." We stopped around the corner in the parking lot where Jasper's car was still making fun of all the other less expensive cars.

Bella stopped suddenly and turned a strong stare to me, "I know you." She stated firmly as if I were arguing with her.

"How?" I longed to know.

"You know me." She ignored my question as her gaze became more intense.

"Yes." I confessed, surprised. "But how did you know that?"

She stepped closer to me, seeming to attempt to find all of our answers in my eyes, "I saw it in your eyes. You recognized me."

"Bella, this isn't possible." I tried to sound as logical as I possibly could. I don't think it worked that well. "I…I've had…" I hesitated, "…dreams about you."

Her eyes widened, "Me too….Last night."

Excitement exploded throughout my body. I found her and she knew me! Suddenly I didn't care what was real and what wasn't. All the dreams I'd had could come true, all the longing could be satisfied.

I couldn't stay still, energy pumped through my veins. I started fidgeting in my exhilaration. "Please, I must…I need to…"Deep breath, "Will you have lunch with me?"

Her smile did nothing to calm me. It was bright and pure and the sexiest thing I'd ever seen, even better than my dreams, "Of course!" The smile faded quickly, "But I have to meet my friend at the beach."

I grinned, "So do I." I winked at her, "I think they'll understand, don't you?"

Bella's amazing smile returned as she nodded frantically.


End file.
